]]>https://onevoicemagazine.com/liham-mula-kay-itay/feed/04878The Story of Us – Part 2: The Woman’s Point of Viewhttps://onevoicemagazine.com/the-story-of-us-part-2-the-womans-point-of-view/
https://onevoicemagazine.com/the-story-of-us-part-2-the-womans-point-of-view/#respondFri, 15 Feb 2019 10:00:25 +0000https://onevoicemagazine.com/?p=4872I am Sofia Frances C. Nagao and this is my story. I first met my husband when I was in first year high school. I was a transferee back then, but I had already heard of him. The year was 2006. I was looking at an elementary graduation yearbook, and as I was browsing the […]

I first met my husband when I was in first year high school. I was a transferee back then, but I had already heard of him. The year was 2006. I was looking at an elementary graduation yearbook, and as I was browsing the pages, one picture caught my eye. It was of a boy with a charming smile. “Jayson Nagao… hmm he looks gwapo [handsome].” And that’s how my crush on him started.

Throughout high school, Jayson was vocal about his feelings toward me, but I shut him down, thinking that he wasn’t serious. Also, having a boyfriend wasn’t on my mind. I was too young. Plus, Jayson had gotten into a short-term relationship.

Fast forward—Jayson and I graduated from high school, and we went to different colleges. That was the time I realized I had feelings for him. We were still friends. On my second year of college, I heard that Jayson was migrating to Japan. I was saddened by the news. We never saw each other before he left. I think the last time we did was a year before his flight; the year when Jayson visited our cake shop on Valentine’s Day, or was it at a batchmate’s debut? I wanted to tell him about my feelings, but I knew it wasn’t the right time. He left for Japan, but we kept our communication ongoing.

It wasn’t often that we’d chat with each other. Sometimes, it would be once a month because of our busy schedules, his work and my studies. Because of the span of time, we’d leave each other long messages. Jayson confessed to me his feelings again via chat, but I told him that I couldn’t entertain him since I still focused on my studies.

I also told him about my purity ring. You see, on my 15th birthday, while I was in my third year of high school, I had my “Bat Barakah,” a ceremony which means “Daughter of a Blessing.” It is the Christian Jewish tradition of releasing a girl to womanhood. I made a covenant with God and with my dad to keep myself pure for my husband and to wait for God’s best for me. If anyone was interested in pursuing me, he was to go to the front door of my heart— my dad.

I still didn’t tell Jayson about my feelings. We kept our friendship, and I introduced him to my dad. He added Dad on Facebook

When I graduated, Jayson flew back from Japan to the Philippines to ask for my hand in courtship from Dad. He first met with Dad, then we started our courtship. We would go out together with family. One requirement from Dad was that he would attend the Ancient Paths seminar. This he did, and that’s where he learned about the importance of family blessing and identity. Guess who was his facilitator? Dad.

Jayson was also released to manhood. After the seminar, on exactly on the same day and after a family dinner, he said his first “ I love you” to me and asked me if I could be his girlfriend. He quickly said that before I answered him, he wanted to have the blessing from my family first. Still on cloud nine from his heartfelt confession, I shared to my parents at home that I loved Jayson. Together that night, we prayed. On April 30,2014, with the blessing of my family, I answered “YES” to Jayson in front of my family. They all welcomed him, blessed us, and prayed for us. We officially became a couple!

The day before Jayson flew back to Japan, he also got his purity ring. He went back to Japan and there, our long distance relationship started. Being away from each other wasn’t easy, but we thank the Lord because no matter the distance, He was the one who connected our hearts closer together.

In 2015, Jayson went home to visit me again. On our first year anniversary, he proposed to me. He knelt for quite a few minutes. I was surprised and asked, “Does Papa know?” Jayson told me that he met Dad earlier while I was at work, and together, they planned the proposal. Dad even hired a secret photographer to capture the special moment.

I said yes. We had our engagement blessing with our family and friends. They declared blessings and prayed for us in our new season of waiting, and also, together, we renewed our covenant of purity.

We decided to get married after two years. However, after a year, we felt that 2016 would be the year. It was the “Year of Jubilee” in the Christian calendar, as well as our own Year of Jubilee. We shared our plan to our family. We prayed and asked God for confirmation. Indeed, the Lord answered our prayers through His provision and favor. We finally became husband and wife on August 13,2016– the start of our blessed marriage.

How beautiful it is to wait upon the Lord! We are not a perfect couple. We make mistakes, too, but we have a God who is perfect. We also thank the Lord for our parents, to whom we are accountable. To sum it all up, our courtship journey was all about obedience— obeying and honoring God and our parents. I believe that when there is obedience, there is blessing.

When you obey your parents in the Lord, not only will life go well with you, but you and your future generations will also prosper. So don’t rush. Don’t settle. Guard your heart and wait. Let God write your love story. It is worth the wait. When you obediently and patiently wait for the one whom God has set apart for you, your story will be grander than any fairy tale or dream. All things will fall into place. God makes all things beautiful in His time for He is the Lord of All Perfect Timings.

]]>https://onevoicemagazine.com/the-story-of-us-part-2-the-womans-point-of-view/feed/04872The God of Infinite Chanceshttps://onevoicemagazine.com/the-god-of-infinite-chances/
https://onevoicemagazine.com/the-god-of-infinite-chances/#respondFri, 15 Feb 2019 04:00:28 +0000https://onevoicemagazine.com/?p=4869I. There he is again. The guilt settles on his shoulders like snakes with weights, coiling around him, pulling him down deeper. He sinks into the quicksand of his own self-abasement and abandons the thought of change. He did it again—looped another porn video; broke his promise to end the addiction. He vowed to change, […]

]]>I.There he is again. The guilt settles on his shoulders like snakes with weights, coiling around him, pulling him down deeper. He sinks into the quicksand of his own self-abasement and abandons the thought of change. He did it again—looped another porn video; broke his promise to end the addiction. He vowed to change, but it’s too difficult. Whatever momentary pleasure he had is overcome by a wash of emptiness and shame. He’s dirty once more, mind stained. Worth stained. Perhaps some things don’t change.

II.There she is again. The shame winds around her neck, pressing down to her chest as the unborn infant kicks in her growing belly. The glaring evidence screams of whatever sinful relationship she had. It doesn’t help that her dad’s the pastor and her mom’s the church deacon. Everyone among the pews knows. The curious looks. The spiteful whispers? They sound like clanging horns rattling her skull. She can’t hide forever. The pain always finds her.

III. There he is again, alone in the car, his knuckles turning white as he grips the steering wheel. The speedometer races up to a dangerous speed. His wife told him to leave. He said he was sorry. The affair ended, but it was too late to win her back. What will his kids think of him? There’s nothing left to fight for. Flight is the only option left—one big pitiful flight. He hits the gas pedal, but he can’t run away from the gnawing emptiness. No one’s coming after him.

BUT…

I.There He is. Skin flies from his back as the whips bite into muscle. The blood drips in scarlet rivulets and fountains. Deep. Hot. Excruciating. There’s a saying in the Law—how death and decay make one unclean. And there he stands, a bleeding mess, a few hours away from becoming the greatest uncleanliness of all. He is dirty now, blood stained. Mud-stained.

Yet the joy is set before Him: “If I must become unclean to set him free, then I’ll wear all this blood and dirt, so that he finds grace in Me.”

II.There He is. The rags he wears are ripped from his broken body. Sin settles on his hands and feet, trapping Him in a naked display on the wretched cross. Bloodied and battered body parts are exposed to the public eyes. The crowd shouts ridicule. Onlookers whisper in contempt. This is shame. This is judgment. This is pain.

Yet the joy is set before Him: “If I must bear her shame to heal her, then I’ll take the ridicule, so that she may stand in purity.

III.There he is. The abandonment wrings his soul. The anguish unravels worse than the thorns, the whips, the nails, the insults. To be forsaken by God Himself, cut off from His Father’s presence? The silence fills his lungs, like black emptiness settling in abandoned caverns. This is what it means to be left behind. This is what it means to drink the consequence of sin—there are no chances to escape the punishment it requires. No running. No escaping.

Yet the joy is set before him, and he endures: If I am abandoned, so that he will never be alone nor out of My reach despite his mistakes, then so be it.

<><><><><>

The price is paid for your second, third, infinite chances. Why waste the blood that purchased your freedom and won your reconciliation? Beloved, because of Christ, you have the freedom now. You are free to claim the rights of a son/daughter of the Most High. You are free to plead His blood and face the Father in cleaner robes, in pure standing, in the righteousness bought for you.

The Messiah has paid it all. You’ll never run out of chances with Him.

Believe in the grace available for you. Put your faith in His mercy, despite how “illogical” and “too good” this mercy seems. This is how Love redeems. This is how Love fights for the unclean, rescues the shamed, and seeks those who have been lost. The Messiah paid it all. You’ll never run out of chances with Him.

For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.2 Corinthians 5: 21

]]>https://onevoicemagazine.com/sa-mundong-ang-gusto-ay-ikaw-ang-gustuhin/feed/14863The Deal with Singlehoodhttps://onevoicemagazine.com/the-deal-with-singlehood/
https://onevoicemagazine.com/the-deal-with-singlehood/#respondThu, 14 Feb 2019 12:00:22 +0000https://onevoicemagazine.com/?p=4859Valentine’s Day. We know it as the day of hearts. Love Day. For some single people, it has become SINGLE AWARENESS DAY. For other single people, it is THANK YOU, LORD, I’M SINGLE! Day. You heard me right. First, let’s strengthen this fact: being SINGLE doesn’t mean there is anything wrong with you. God works […]

First, let’s strengthen this fact: being SINGLE doesn’t mean there is anything wrong with you. God works in seasons, loving people and watching over them even before the day of their birth to the time of their death. His hand is not too short to supply the husband or the wife He has in mind for you.

Psalm 139:16-17 speaks about every day having been written in the book of the Lord: “Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. How precious to me are your thoughts, God! How vast is the sum of them!” And in the Book of Ecclesiastes, life is described in seasons: “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens…” (Ecc. 3:1). Marriage will have its time; it will come in a season ordained by God.

Singlehood should be seen as a God-ordained period when God wants us to Himself. It is during this season of singlehood that a person can do many things and learn many things that only he or she could do while being single. Family responsibilities related to having children or running a household don’t tie single people down yet. I know of many who use their singlehood wisely and go on mission trips. There are others, meanwhile, who use these years to build capital, saving up for a family that they know God will give them. And there are still others who use this time to build knowledge, taking extra units in school.

Singlehood shouldn’t be marked by anger or despair. It should be marked with a positivity that each day is worthwhile; that each day is filled with promise. In singlehood, we shouldn’t let loneliness stop us from living and dreaming and working. Romance shouldn’t be the end-goal of our lives. We don’t live simply to marry.

Of course, this is not to downplay the importance of marriage. We know God loves marriage. We see the Bible start and end with a marriage. In Genesis, we see God Himself uniting Adam with Eve. In Revelation, we see the marriage of the Lamb (Jesus) and His bride (the Church) coming together in a wedding banquet. One sees a full expression of love when marriage enters the picture.

For those who are still single, remember this: God IS POWERFUL enough to bring two people together. He’s God. I believe God still speaks to His children and is still in the matchmaking business. I also believe that in His love for us, He wants marriage to be a VERY good gift FROM HIM to us.

I must admit: I am one of those people who have been single all my life. People who see me are shocked when they find out about this because I am not exactly ugly, neither am I the type to lack suitors. I have had to say “No” out of obedience to God even if I have tried to pull strings, cry my eyes out, and even fast. And when I have wanted to say “Yes” to the wrong men, God has always had a powerful way of yanking any potential relationship out of my grasp.

When these things happen, can I say that my pain matters to God? YES. Psalm 56:8 says, “You [God] keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book.” It’s during these hard, heartbreaking times that a person can see God as the One who completes him or her—no other man or woman can take His role. And when we go to God bringing the little shards of our heart—our little offering of five loaves and two fish—we can rest in the fact that God can use our heartbreaks to bring life to us and to a multitude who are watching us.

So why am I still single? (The big question!) My life has been dedicated to God. This means that every facet of my life belongs to Him—especially the choice of my marriage partner.

Does this mean that I will stay single forever? No. I have heard God speak to me clearly that I will indeed be married. Do I know single people who will be single their whole lives? I remember asking a friend about her romance, and she said that God told her she wasn’t to marry. It was okay with her. Again, romance isn’t the end goal of life.

Plus, I believe that overwhelming grace is given to whom it is necessary.

To those who are single— we should be able to say that today is worth living. Tomorrow is also worth looking forward to. For Valentine’s Day, let’s take time to speak and spend time with the Lover of our souls, thanking Him for our completeness IN HIM. Let’s use our season wisely, making the best of the opportunities that God sends our way.

]]>https://onevoicemagazine.com/the-deal-with-singlehood/feed/04859The Story Of Us – Part 1: The Man’s Point of Viewhttps://onevoicemagazine.com/the-story-of-us-part-1-the-mans-point-of-view/
https://onevoicemagazine.com/the-story-of-us-part-1-the-mans-point-of-view/#respondThu, 14 Feb 2019 10:00:47 +0000https://onevoicemagazine.com/?p=4845Marriage. It is a beautiful bond that unites a man and a woman. Some see marriage as a serious thing, while others think of it as just another label. Marriage brings out the best in us and the worst. - The Story Of Us - Part 1: The Man’s Point of View

Marriage. It is a beautiful bond that unites a man and a woman. Some see marriage as a serious thing, while others think of it as just another label. Marriage brings out the best in us and the worst.

Most of us dream about our marriage. We plan how it’s going to be, or how we wish it would be. We start thinking about it as we grow older. For some, like in my case, the idea of marriage is planted in our minds at an early age.

My name is Jayson Nagao, and this is the story of how I waited for the right time and went through the right path of pursuit, eventually marrying my lovely wife, Sofia. It was at the start of high school when I first met her. She was one of the new students in our school. She was a gentle, shy, and soft-spoken girl, but she was also beautiful and friendly. I had a crush on her the first moment I saw her. Since I was still young at that time, I was eager to get to know her and hopefully make her my girlfriend. I walked up to her and introduced myself and got to know her. We were in different sections, so I could only talk to her during our free time and after school.

After some time passed during our first year as high school students, I was planning to tell her that I liked her. But I was concerned. My confession would have made things awkward between us. So I had one of my best friends, who was also close to her, tell her. The next day, my best friend told me what Sofia said. Turns out Sofia had a crush on me too, but only for one day. I couldn’t really blame her. My looks were passable, but my personality turned her off. I heard she had a crush on someone else, so I moved on. Yet I still liked her.

I had a girlfriend in my second year of high school, but Sofia and I still talked. We got closer that year, and then came our third year of high school. My girlfriend broke up with me during the summer of our second year. When the third year of high school started, I decided to confess to Sofia again, but this time I decided to do it myself and with more conviction. I told Sofia over and over again that I liked her, but she didn’t take me seriously because of the nature of our friendship. She looked at me like I was the big brother she never had.

When her birthday came up, she celebrated her Bat Barakah. That was the day she made a covenant with her father and with God that whoever wanted to be her partner had to first go through the door of her heart. This door was her father. The man pursuing her had to ask for her father’s permission in courtship, as well as his blessing in marriage later on.

Both Sofia and I are Christians. When I heard about this covenant, I knew I had no chance to get her to take me seriously. I still liked her even after that. We were still close until the end of our high school days.

We went to different colleges, but I only stayed in mine only for my 1st year. I met someone else during that time, but it wasn’t an official relationship. I had a chance to go to Japan since my father was Japanese, and also since a foundation was willing to help me. I always wanted to go there since I was a child, and I was so happy at the opportunity. But I thought of the things I would miss when I went away. I thought of my family and friends, and I thought of Sofia. I thought that if I didn’t tell her how I felt about her, then I would regret it for the rest of my life.

It took a year to sort out all my documents including my VISA, so I had time to ponder things. I wasn’t as eager as I was when I was in high school. I got shy, and maybe I was traumatized by her not taking me seriously before. I messaged her on Facebook and told her about my plan to leave for Japan. Since we were still communicating after high school, we were still close and talked about lots of things. We shared our personal problems and struggles.

She was still in college, so she didn’t have a lot of time to spend with me. Our time was limited. Sometimes, I would find her online during midnight, and we would chat until morning or until she fell asleep. We got closer, though we didn’t see much of each other. When there were events at her college, I would go and visit her. And when we saw each other, it was all awkward. We couldn’t converse like we did when we were chatting online. We were shy with each other and felt uncomfortable— but not in a creepy way.

When Valentine’s Day came, I texted her that I had something for her. We planned to see each other at her college, but I was late so she changed the venue. Since her family owns a cake shop and it was close to her college, she suggested that we meet there instead. When I got there, I was surprised to see her mom there, too. I was caught off-guard, but I still went on and greeted her and asked if I could see her daughter. We sat and ate, and it felt like a date— only that there were people watching our every move. I gave Sofia a rose and greeted her “Happy Valentine’s!” We started to talk, and when I felt like we were really having a good conversation, she asked me who I liked. I was stunned at the question, and she still didn’t get that I liked her. She asked me to leave after that, since she said she was busy and had things to do. I was happy and contented with what happened, and it made me hopeful.

It was time for me to go to Japan, but before I left, I told myself that I would wait for her. I wasn’t able to see her before I left, which made me sad.

I got a chance to experience life in Japan, and I was happy. But I was also sad that I was far from Sofia. We would leave each other messages and reply once a month. We still kept in touch, but we sometimes lost our communication. This went on for about a year. I messaged her best friend from high school and asked if I could get Sofia’s number from her. She asked me why and for what purpose, so I had no choice but to tell her how I felt about Sofia. She started interrogating me, but in the end, she finally gave me the number.

I called Sofia during my lunch break, and she was surprised that I was able to get her number. We talked and caught up with one another. We communicated constantly after that. I realized I loved her, and I decided to go home and ask her father for his permission to court his daughter. I messaged her father and we arranged to meet when I got home.

The plane was late in departing. I was scheduled to arrive at noon but ended up with the last flight. I was already late for my meeting with Sofia’s father because of the flight, and I thought he left already. I still went to our meeting place and found him just about ready to leave. We were able to introduce ourselves properly. I asked for his permission to court his daughter. He gave me a set of rules and a curfew. He also suggested that I go through an Ancient Paths seminar. There, I was able to learn that sin is generational and can be passed down to the next generation of our family— unless we cut it in the name of Jesus. I also learned about family planning and that the spiritual aspect of the family is very important. He then told me that in the end, it would be his daughter who would decide if she would accept me or not.

The next day, Sofia and I met. It was great to be able to see each other again after a long time! We spent the day hanging out with her sister. I attended the seminar, which lasted three days.

The things that I learned there influenced how I courted Sofia. I was able to tell her that I loved her, but I did not rush her to give me an answer. The next day, I was invited to her family dinner. Most of her family was there, and it was a very pleasant evening. Sofia then stood from her seat and asked me to stand with her. There, she told me that she loved me, too, and that she accepted me as her boyfriend. I was shocked and overwhelmed that after so many years, my feelings were accepted. We spent my remaining time in the Philippines enjoying each other’s company.

I went back to Japan, and we started our long distance relationship. We communicated daily, and we continued to encourage and support each other. We prayed as a couple and thanked God for this relationship. We were being led to marriage by the Lord, so we continued to pray for confirmation.

A year passed, and I went home again to Sofia. This trip for me was about catching up and making up for the time we were apart, as well as to get to know her family. I felt accepted and was already treated as part of her family.

Sofia had no idea that I was going to propose to her this time around. I messaged her dad again. This time, I was going to ask for his daughter’s hand in marriage. He expected it to be so, and told me about the responsibility I would continue for him to his daughter. He told me to continue his love for Sofia, to know my roots, and to lead her spiritually. After that, he gave me his blessing.

I proposed to Sofia on our anniversary, and she accepted. I had to go back to Japan again, but while in Japan, we planned our wedding and received blessings from the Lord, especially in the area of our finances. Everything was falling perfectly in place, and it felt like God had already arranged everything for us. We just had to receive it. Our wedding was made to honor HIM who kept our relationship from getting ripped apart by the distance that lay between us. God had given us strength.

Sofia and I are now married. Though we may be young, the Lord has given us wisdom to deepen our marriage and our relationship with Him. We look forward to our journey as a married couple.

I pray for whoever reads this, wherever you may be. Trust in the Lord and wait for His plans to unfold for you. No matter how impossible they may seem, remember that with God, everything is possible.

Editorial Note: We will be releasing Sofia’s side of the story tomorrow.

]]>https://onevoicemagazine.com/the-story-of-us-part-1-the-mans-point-of-view/feed/04845That Kind of Love: A Valentine’s Day Messagehttps://onevoicemagazine.com/that-kind-of-love-a-valentines-day-message/
https://onevoicemagazine.com/that-kind-of-love-a-valentines-day-message/#respondThu, 14 Feb 2019 04:00:56 +0000https://onevoicemagazine.com/?p=4836Dear Readers, I had written something earlier in time for Valentine’s Day, but when I woke up this morning, I just knew I had to write again. Many of you who are reading this are students or are in their twenties. Perhaps you have had an experience or two in the area of falling in […]

I had written something earlier in time for Valentine’s Day, but when I woke up this morning, I just knew I had to write again.

Many of you who are reading this are students or are in their twenties. Perhaps you have had an experience or two in the area of falling in love, falling out of love, or staying in love. Perhaps some of you are jaded about love.

But perhaps some of you are hopeful that love will strike again, this time hitting the bull’s eye!

No matter how commercial Valentine’s Day has become, I urge you to embrace LOVE. Love is still beautiful. It is what makes our Father God smile about you when He thinks of you. It is what paints the sky orange, yellow, and red in the morning. It is what makes you forgive and heal. It is what sweetens life when the dishes are undone, or when an annoying sister demands that you drive her to the mall.

Romance is simply a slice in the crazy pie called LOVE. Romance is not the end-all or be-all of life. BUT note this: Romance with God is EVERYTHING.

We love because HE FIRST LOVED US (1 John 4:19). God fashioned us in the womb of our mothers, carefully forming one whom He carried in His heart and mind for millennia. Yes, that ONE is you. You were in the “womb” of God’s heart and mind before He released you into the world.

Before any of our days came to be, our Father already knew who you would be, how you would look like and think, how you would touch others, and how you would extravagantly touch His heart. YES. Extravagantly. You would touch Him in such a way that every strand of your hair would be counted by Him (Luke 12:7); that every tear you cried would be saved and recorded (Psalm 56:8); that every day of your life would be planned for (Psalm 139:16).

Can you fathom that kind of love?

We usually say that LOVE was when our Father God sent His own son Jesus to die for us. This is TRUE. And it means salvation for us. But did we ever think of WHY He did that? What kind of love propelled Him to send Someone worth the Kingdom, worth the price tag of “God” in exchange for your life? Are we so precious to Him that we are worth the life of God Himself?

As sons and daughters of a FATHER who loves us SO MUCH, we should be able to run to our Daddy God at any time of the day with anything that bothers or blesses our hearts. Rest assured, He has His ears and eyes turned toward us.

Love is BEAUTIFUL. He is Beautiful. You are Beautiful.

As for earthly romance, I believe that it is also beautiful. When we see God as the Author and Finisher of our faith (as the Bible calls Him in Hebrews 12:1), then we can have faith that God is weaving a beautiful love story for us. We need only to trust Him fully and allow Him to move.

While we trust and wait, consider saying this prayer:

“Father God, I thank you that you are LOVE. You loved me before creation. You love me even now. I give to You my heart and every aspect of it—especially my romance. Thank you that You know who I’m going to marry. This person whom I will be joined to is so important to you! I pray that you write my love story in a way that only YOU can write it. Thank you so much! Prepare my heart even now as I wait for You to move. Thank you, Daddy God. In Jesus’ name, AMEN.”

In behalf of everyone in One Voice Magazine, I greet you knowing that our Father God will extravagantly love you today!

I lay in bed,
my limbs asleep,
yet my soul and spirit rise
to be with my Great Lover.
When tears take their hatchet
to break down my doors,
I run into my Lover’s arms.
He turns my soul into a guitar,
strumming each single string of my heart.
Slowly, He sings a lullaby
and my anxieties fall asleep with my worry.
In my dreams, I see my Lover painting.
He uses pain to paint the colors of grace,
forming an image of love to comfort my soul.
My Great Lover listens
to my orchestra of cries,
understands every thorn on my stem,
reminds me of how my tears
water the seed He has planted within me.

]]>https://onevoicemagazine.com/prince-of-my-heart/feed/04826Sheer Beautyhttps://onevoicemagazine.com/sheer-beauty/
https://onevoicemagazine.com/sheer-beauty/#respondSat, 12 Jan 2019 01:19:13 +0000https://onevoicemagazine.com/?p=4805I was reading Psalm 100 a few days ago and saw an interesting description of God in verse 5: For God is sheer beauty, all-generous in love, loyal always and ever(MSG) Sheer Beauty. I had to stop for a moment and think of this. What is sheer beauty? The closest picture I could think of […]

]]>I was reading Psalm 100 a few days ago and saw an interesting description of God in verse 5:

For God is sheer beauty,all-generous in love,
loyal always and ever(MSG)

Sheer Beauty. I had to stop for a moment and think of this. What is sheer beauty? The closest picture I could think of was the sun rising, its brilliant rays piercing the sky in a natural mosaic of red, bright orange, and pink. Sometimes, royal purple comes into play, whirling me in wonder.

We know God is glorious and mighty and powerful, but have we tried asking Him to show us how beautiful He is?

I know it’s hard to attribute beauty to Someone we have never seen, but think of it this way: we live in a world surrounded by beauty, and these beautiful natural wonders were planned for and given life by a Beautiful God. Trees, flowers, mountain tops, pristine rivers, stars… do we pay attention to all these beautiful things around us? How about when the wind hits our faces with coolness on a hot, difficult day? Do we take that for granted? These wonders have God’s fingerprints on them, and they ought to make us believe that a Creator truly does exist. And He can only be beautiful as our Living God because what He made is beautiful.

Speaking of wind, there is a kind of wind that I love. This is the whisper of the Holy Spirit’s wind in our hearts; the soft whisper piecing us back again, telling us that we are worth loving; worth giving life to. Isn’t it beautiful when we hear God speaking to us? When He tells us that we, too, are beautiful? That He planned for us? That He has a destiny for us?

In One Voice Magazine, one of the things I love to emphasize to our team is to listen to the Voice of Him who matters the most. It is the beautiful voice of the Beautiful One.

The messes of our past years can be transformed into beauty by the Beautiful One. The brokenness of our hearts can be mended by the Beautiful One. The best dreams for the future can be given to us by the Beautiful One. Every parched desert in our lives can tremble with hope and beauty when our own voice finds His. Therefore, like John the Baptist, we cry even in our wildernesses, “’Prepare the way for the LORD’s coming! Clear the road for him!” We do this because we know that Jesus is the Beautiful One; our Savior who gives hope; the King of all Kings who is high and lifted up!

This 2019, let us be conscious of inviting sheer Beauty to step into our lives—our dreams, our pain, our hopes, our plans, our projects. We have 365 opportunities for Jesus’ SHEER BEAUTY to transform each day into beautiful. Let’s not waste this!

]]>https://onevoicemagazine.com/sheer-beauty/feed/04805Why True Beauty Doesn’t Even Tryhttps://onevoicemagazine.com/why-true-beauty-doesnt-even-try/
https://onevoicemagazine.com/why-true-beauty-doesnt-even-try/#respondFri, 11 Jan 2019 02:51:59 +0000https://onevoicemagazine.com/?p=4801TWO DIFFERENT KINDS OF BEAUTY A music video splashes across the screen in psychedelic colors, throbbing with imposing basslines. The star dances like she’s the most attractive goddess on earth. I sit in the comfort of my bedroom, pondering how our culture finds this beautiful. The star bends and twirls. Her ultra-revealing clothes leave no […]

A music video splashes across the screen in psychedelic colors, throbbing with imposing basslines. The star dances like she’s the most attractive goddess on earth. I sit in the comfort of my bedroom, pondering how our culture finds this beautiful. The star bends and twirls. Her ultra-revealing clothes leave no room for imagination. Perfect skin. Perfect curves. Perfect everything. She sings like a siren, lips pursed in practiced seduction. I imagine all the boys drooling over her image. “She’s a solid 10, dude!” They scream, rating her face and body.

My self-esteem sinks as I stare at her precise eyeliner. If she’s a 10, I’d probably be a dismal 4. If this was everyone’s version of beauty: sexy, curvy, hot…sigh, I’d be missing out.

What if I try exercising for vanity’s sake, use heavy makeup, and try to be a little more confident in revealing clothes? Will somebody notice me and say, “Wow, Nicole IS beautiful”?

The temptation lingers, but the music video transitions to a pianist. Her voice soars, befitting a gentle angel—not an auto-tuned siren. I focus on her lyrics and skill and heart, undistracted by the quiet demeanor and conservative, yet fashionable robe. She wears a simple brown dress. Her gaze does not imbue lust, but only brings attention to her music as something soulful.

And then it hit me. Oh my goodness. She’s so beautiful!

Here was beauty with substance. Here was beauty without flashy clothes and the shallow pouts. Here was real, unfiltered beauty.

It was beauty that didn’t have to try.

TRUE BEAUTY DOES NOT FIT THE MOLD OF THE WORLD.

1 Peter 3:3-4

Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.

Watching music videos sparked a paradigm shift in me. God’s standard of beauty is not the same as the world’s. It is entirely different and several infinite levels above it. The implications are immense. It persuades His beloved, us, that we should not aim to satisfy the world’s standard of sexiness or beauty.

For one thing, physical beauty comes with an expiration date. It fades and ages and wrinkles. It dies. Like a sunflower upon reaching the cusp of extravagance, physical beauty quickly wilts away in a span of a week or two (1 Peter 3:4). But God’s definition of beauty? It is skin deep, flowing to the outward body as naturally as gravity. And it never fades. It can never fit the mold of the world because it has a grand shape of its own.

SECURITY IS TRUE BEAUTY

As the pianist sang, God sifted through my jealous heart. Why are you desperate for a mortal guy’s rating of you to validate your worth?He said.Does it matter if you’re a 4 or a 10 to them, when you’re already beautiful to me?

He presented his claim, defining what real beauty is.

Atruly beautiful woman doesn’t fuss because she is secure with herself and how God created her to be. The “gentle and quiet spirit” that God prizes does not recommend a woman to be spineless nor weak. It tells of a restful spirit who trusts Him enough as her source of security. She finds her worth and beauty in beholding her Creator. She receives her validation from Him, no longer pressured into earning her worth by trying hard.

She stands and she sings, already wonderful to Him.

And once she embraces her worth in Him, practical beauty no longer becomes a relentless cycle of beating herself up to look like a Barbie doll. She learns to love herself enough to care for herself. She can steward whatever natural beauty she possesses through the right diet, exercise, clothes, appealing makeup, etc.

She does not rely on these tools to make her beautiful. It is her confidence in the Greatest Artist that leads her into stewarding the beauty she is already adorned with.

True beauty doesn’t try hard. A woman who possesses it lives upon the truth that she already is beautiful.

TRUE BEAUTY IS NOT ABOUT YOU

I wanted to be “beautiful” like that pop star because in truth, I wished for attention to be on me. I wanted people to see me, to desire me, to be in awe of me.

The temptation to wear revealing clothes is an enticing idea. Lust has a way with presenting the false kind of power a woman can wield to “lift” herself up. But it isn’t real beauty. It will not inspire life in people.

True Beauty is not meant to lift oneself up. It is meant to shine back to God and give Him glory.

If lust is self-centered, God’s version of beauty is selflessness to Him. A woman of true beauty does not lure people to herself. She points people back to the wonderful Creator. As belonging to His creation, her whole being inherently screams of His majesty (Romans 1:20; Psalm 104:24-25). And as she shines for Him, equally adorning herself with good works while embodying God-given self-esteem, people will find her beauty preserved throughout the ages.

She exists to display a beautiful testimony that people will praise God for.

True beauty doesn’t have to try. It is already a mantle graced upon God’s daughters for greater glory.

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So to the woman reading this:Smile and believe that you are already beautiful!